Removing the starter and battery

Hi. I have a 1978 KZ 650 B2 and I want to remove the electric starter and battery and make it kick only. I heard the bike will still run the headlight and brake lights with a condenser or something. It is currently not running and I am redoing the wiring after being taken for a ride by a local shop.

If anyone has done this and had success, please let me know what was done and what parts you had success with.

Thank you!!

Find a forum member named "Loudhvx", as he's done this to several bikes. The Kz650's came in many flavors, some had the abilty to make into kick start bikes, but most needed the battary as the charging system was not designed to do this. It will depend on the model you've got and the year.

Kawasaki KZ650 Charging system information

Below are the systems used on the 650s. As you can see there are basically 3 different systems used, 2 of which are 3phase which use 3 wires and the other is single phase which used 2 wires.

First gen. uses 3 wires
1977 B1 standard...3phase excited field
1977 C1 custom.....3phase excited field

Second gen. uses 2 wires
1978 B2 standard...1phase permanent mag
1978 C2 custom.....1phase permanent mag
1978 D1 sr.........1phase permanent mag
1979 B3 standard...1phase permanent mag
1979 C3 custom.....1phase permanent mag
1979 D2 sr.........1phase permanent mag
1980 E1 LTD........1phase permanent mag
1980 F1 custom.....1phase permanent mag
1980 B4 standard...1phase permanent mag
1980 C4 custom.....1phase permanent mag
1980 D3 sr.........1phase permanent mag

Third gen. uses 3 wires
1981 D4 sr..............3phase permanent mag
1981 F2 ................3phase permanent mag
1982 F3 ................3phase permanent mag
1983 F4 ................3phase permanent mag
1981 H1 csr.............3phase permanent mag
1982 H2 csr.............3phase permanent mag
1983 H3 csr.............3phase permanent mag up to KZ650DE052650

Fourth gen.
1983 H3 csr.............New type 3phase permanent mag starting at KZ650DE052651

Want to ditch the battery? Get one of these! :laugh:
Minimum 15volt and 50,000uf Capacitor. You can hide it wherever you want.

Bike will be kick start only but you can't have the headlight on when starting it.
My 900 starts first kick every single time.... unless I forget to turn the headlight off.

Here is what I got:

MFolks wrote: Find a forum member named "Loudhvx", as he's done this to several bikes. The Kz650's came in many flavors, some had the abilty to make into kick start bikes, but most needed the battary as the charging system was not designed to do this. It will depend on the model you've got and the year.

Kawasaki KZ650 Charging system information

Below are the systems used on the 650s. As you can see there are basically 3 different systems used, 2 of which are 3phase which use 3 wires and the other is single phase which used 2 wires.

First gen. uses 3 wires
1977 B1 standard...3phase excited field
1977 C1 custom.....3phase excited field

Second gen. uses 2 wires
1978 B2 standard...1phase permanent mag
1978 C2 custom.....1phase permanent mag
1978 D1 sr.........1phase permanent mag
1979 B3 standard...1phase permanent mag
1979 C3 custom.....1phase permanent mag
1979 D2 sr.........1phase permanent mag
1980 E1 LTD........1phase permanent mag
1980 F1 custom.....1phase permanent mag
1980 B4 standard...1phase permanent mag
1980 C4 custom.....1phase permanent mag
1980 D3 sr.........1phase permanent mag

Third gen. uses 3 wires
1981 D4 sr..............3phase permanent mag
1981 F2 ................3phase permanent mag
1982 F3 ................3phase permanent mag
1983 F4 ................3phase permanent mag
1981 H1 csr.............3phase permanent mag
1982 H2 csr.............3phase permanent mag
1983 H3 csr.............3phase permanent mag up to KZ650DE052650

Fourth gen.
1983 H3 csr.............New type 3phase permanent mag starting at KZ650DE052651

Which type works ?

I can't speak for the rest of the models, but the KZ650-B1 and C1 must have a battery because of the 3-phase excited field generators. Without a battery they will not run. Ed